Jennifer Sprouse

East Tennessee State University’s annual spring concert will be attended by more than just the students next month.
When the Grammy-award winning band Train visits ETSU on April 26, they will be greeted by not only excited members of the student body, but also eager ticket holders from the general public.
In years past, tickets for the spring and fall concerts were only open for purchase for ETSU students, faculty and staff, but ETSU’s Student Government Association decided to include the public for this particular concert.
“It was a decision made by the student government and ... it has to do with just feeling that we have enough space. Originally, we felt that there wasn’t going to be enough space in our concerts for our students and the public to participate,” Sally Lee, associate vice president for student affairs said. “Also, we had ... the understanding that we couldn’t have anyone ... outside that community in the facility with regards to how the fire marshal ruled on the use of the facility, but we have clarified that, so we are happy to open it to the public.”
She said also that certain acts and musical groups in the past signed contracts to perform specifically for a closed concert just for the students, instead of opening it up to the general public.
Lee said the contract to host Train at ETSU for the spring concert was finalized in the last two weeks, but plans to bring the group to campus had been in the works since around January.
Students are polled each year to determined who the SGA will invite to play at the campus and Lee said this year the students got their No. 1 pick.
“They (Train) were No.1 on the list, on the poll,” she said. “This was the first time we’ve ever gotten the No. 1 voted group to come. They have general appeal, I think, and that was ... who (the) students asked for in the poll.”
Lee said past concert attendance from the student body has been successful and said holding the concerts on campus is something fun and positive for the students.
“It builds ... engagement with the campus. It helps students have fond memories of their college experience and it helps them have something fun to do,” she said.
Train’s opening act will be Knoxville-based band The Dirty Guv’nahs.
The concert will be held on April 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the MSHA Athletic Center, also known as the mini-dome.
ETSU students will have access to one free ticket and can purchase up to three tickets for $15 a piece.
Ticket sales for the public will open on April 8 for $15 each on www.etsu.edu/sga.
The event is open individuals 18 and up and everyone attending the concert must have a photo ID with his or her tickets to enter.
For more information, visit www.etsu.edu/sga or go on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/489920647724068/.